Please note an important change in this week’s school
calendar: Due to an unforeseen circumstance, there is no
school for all students in Franklin Pierce Schools on Friday, May 8.
The Washington Education Association (WEA) is coordinating
walkouts of teachers from some school districts to get attention about
lawmakers’ failure to comply with the McCleary
decision and state Supreme Court mandate to provide ample funding for K-12
education.
Some teachers’ associations throughout Washington State have
voted to participate. The Franklin Pierce Education Association voted
on Monday evening, May 4 to join the walkout on Friday, May 8. Therefore, Franklin
Pierce Schools will not be able to hold school on Friday, May 8.
Friday, May 8 is now a no school day. Similar to an
unplanned snow day, this day will need to be made up. In order to make up this non-school
day, the last day of school in Franklin Pierce Schools has
been changed from Friday, June 19 to Monday, June 22. A
revised calendar reflecting this change has been posted to the district website
at www.fpschools.org.
Regarding after-school activities or evening events on May
8: Your school will be in communication with affected students and
families if particular after-school events and activities will require
rescheduling.
Please know this labor walkout is beyond the control of Franklin
Pierce Schools, and yet we are so sorry for the inconvenience this may cause.
This isn’t about our school district, but is an effort by
teachers’ associations to influence the Legislature. We agree that lawmakers
have failed to fully fund K-12 education for too many years. The walkout is a
political strategy that teachers’ associations are choosing to use.
A letter will be sent home with students on Tuesday, May 5. To
read a copy of the letter, please CLICK HERE.
Thank you for your patience and understanding.